Electric oven



Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

2 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to stoves or ovens, and more particularly toelectric ovens for domestic use.

In such ovens as usually constructed, two or more heating units areemployed and disposed at both the top and bottom of the oven, and whenbaking, it is necessary to use both units.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an improvedarrangement whereby entirely satisfactory baking can be accomplishedwith the use of but a single heating unit, the same being located at thetop of the oven so that it may be used for broiling also.

A further object is to provide an improved oven having a cooking top andequipped with but a single heating unit so constructed and arranged asto' the cooking top and also generate a baking temperature within theoven.

Still another object of the invention is to provide simple and efficientmeans for holding the oven door either partially or completely closed,as desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear asthe description proceeds.

In order that the invention' may be readily understood, reference is hadto the accompanying drawing, forming part of this speciflcation and inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved oven, with parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same substantially on the line2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section substantially on the line 4-4 ofFig. l;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale,substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and l Fig. 6 is a fragmentaryfront elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the oven comprises a rectangularcasing made up of spaced outer and inner sheet metal shells I and Ib,the i space between them being lled with suitable insulating materialI0.

Into the central portion of the to-p of the oven is set a hot plate orcooking top 2, preferably formed of sheet steel and in the shape of aninverted open pan, having downwardly extending flanges 2a. As shown, theupper surface of the hot plate 2 is preferably slightly above thesurface of the oven top.

My improved oven -ls intended for use chieily in locations where thereis no special wiring, and

where it can be plugged into any ordinary 110 volt outlet. Under theseconditions, the permissible maximum wattage is quite limited, and forthis reason it is necessary to arrange the heat- (Cl. 21S-35) ingelements in a very compact and emcient manner. 'I'hese heating elementsare indicated at 3, and are shown as carried by sheet metal strips 3 ofangle section, secured directly to the under side of the cooking top 2,and within the flanges 2a.

By reference to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the combined heating unitand cooking top above described is substantially narrower than the widthof the oven. Thus the heating elements 3 are disposed relatively closelytogether, so that the entire heat generated by the available wattage isconcentrated under a cooking top of relatively small area, and in thisway it is possible to raise the temperature of such top to a. degreehigh enough for effective cooking and boiling.

By further reference to Fig. 4, it will be observed that the side wallsof the oven are formed at theirv upper edges with inwardly extendingportions which engage the side flanges of the heating unit, and thelower surfaces of these projecting portions are preferably bevelled orinclined, as indicated at 4, in order to assist in reflecting the heatin the desired direction.

In order to support the cooking-top or heating unit, I preferably secureto the sides 2Il thereof, as by welding, small laterally projectingflanges 2b. (See Figs. 2 and 4.) They rest upon the upper edge of theinner shell lb. To hold the cooking top firmly in position, and to forma tight seal between it and the oven walls, I place around the cookingtop a frameA l, as shown. This frame closes the space between the innerand outer shells, and provides a marginal portion constituting the topof the oven. It engages at its inner edges the flanges 2b, and thussecurely anchors the cooking top or heating unit in position, theflanges 2b being confined between the edges of the inner shell Ib andthe frame l'.

The oven is provided at its front side with the usual insulated door 5,hinged at 6.

On the inside of the oven Walls are provided the usual ribs or hangersupports l adapted to receive the customary removable rack or grid 8 onwhich rests the receptacle containing the material to be baked.

As will be understood from the foregoing description, I preferably donot employ' any heating element or unit at the bottom of my improvedoven, but rely 'entirely upon the single unit 3, at the top, for bothheating the hot plate or cooking top 2 and for broiling and bakinginside of the oven.

In order to secure the proper distribution oi vheat within the oven, soas to accomplish the satisfactory baking of material supported on therack 8, I provide a second removable rack or grid 9 having securedthereto a protecting plate or shield I0. By reference to the drawing, it

will be seen that this plate is in general of the same shape as theinterior of the oven, but is smaller than the oven, whereby a space orpassage Il` is provided between the margin of the plate or shield andthe walls of the oven. Preferably the shieldv ill is made ofsubstantially the same width and area as the width and area of theheating unit or hot plate.

In this way, food supported on the rack B is protected from directradiation of heat from the unit 3 and is thus prevented from burning ontop, while at the same time, due to the spaces or passages Il, the heatis distributed through the oven in such manner that even the space belowthe rack 8 is raised to a baking temperature.

It will be understood, of course, that both the rack 8 and shield illmay be supported at any desired' height by resting them upon differentpairs of ribs or hangers 1, as required. Thus, the shield may be placedat a greater or less distance from the heating unit and in this way thedegree and. distribution of heat in the lower part of the oven can becontrolled.

I have found, in practice, that by suitably selecting the respectivepositions of the supporting rack 8 and the shield i0, it is possible toproduce such a uniform distribution of heat in the lower part of theoven that articles, such as biscuits, placed in a pan or receptacle onthe rack.

B will be satisfactorily browned both on top and at the bottom, andwithout burning.

It will be further understood that the single heating unit or element 3serves both to generate a baking temperature in the oven, as abovedescribed, and also to heat the cooking top or hot plate 2 at the sametime. Thus, food may be cooked on the hot plate while baking is beingdone in the oven.

In order to control the position of the door.

5, I provide a brace member i2 pivoted to the door at i3 and having anelongated slot il therein, working over a fixed stud l5, set into theoven wall. This brace serves to limit the opening movement of the doorin the usual manner.

In my improved construction, however, I combine with the brace a latchdevice for frictionally holding the door in closed or partially closedposition. As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, I form at the inner end ofthe brace l2 a rib or corrugation I6, and extend the brace somewhatbeyond this rib, as indicated at I1. A resilient catch member IB issecured at one end to the oven wall and has its other end spacedslightly therefrom and provided with an inwardly projecting rib orcorrugation I8.

When the door is moved toward closed position, the extended end l1 ofthe brace i2 is forced between the rib IS and the sidewall of the oven,and the resilience of the catch member i8 causes a frictional grippingof the end i1 of the brace sufficient to maintain the door in partiallyclosed position, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 5, and in fulllines in Fig. 6. 'I'his partially closed position is desirable forcertain types of cooking in which it is necessary to permit the escapeof gases from the oven. V

When, on the other hand, it is desired to tightly close the oven door,the rib I6 is forced under the rib I9 and snaps past it, due to thecoaction between the beveled surface thereof, and the resilience of themember I8 then serves to maintain the` door in closed position. Thus, itwill be seen that I have provided a simple and efficient latch device bymeans of which the door may be frictionally held in either partially orcompletely closed positionfas desired. At the same time, the two partsof the latch member readily disengage when a slight pull is exerted onthe door handle.

When it is desired to generate a high degree of heat within the oven forbaking purposes, I iind that under some circumstances it is helpful toprevent the free radiation oi heat from the top of the hot plate 2, inorder that this heat may be conserved for use inside of the oven. Tothis end, I provide a removable metallic cover 20, as shown in Figs. land 2, this cover vcompletely enclosing the entire hot plate or cookingtop 2, and being slightly spaced therefrom, as illustrated in Fig. 2.'I'he cover is preferably provided with handles or lugs 20a by which itmay be lifted, when desired.

It will be understoodthat when the cover 2li is in position, and theheating unit is in operation, this cover serves to confine the heatwithin the oven to some extent, but at the same time, it

also becomes heated and while not, of course, as

hot as the cooking top 2 would be, it is nevertheless hot enough to beused for slow cooking. In other words, the cover 20 is not an insulatingcover, but merely serves to modify or reduce the amount of heat passingupward from the heating unit, and at the same time to provide a cookingsurface which is suiliciently hot for many purposes.

It will be further understood that when the cooking top 2 only is beingused, for frying or the like, the efiiciency of the unit 3 may beincreased and radiation downward into the oven reduced, by placing theshield i0 on the upper pair of ribs 1, as close to the heating unit aspossible.

What I claim is:

1. An electric oven having heat insulated sides comprising spaced innerand outer shells, a sheet metal cooking top, having peripheraldownwardly extending flanges, supported on the upper edges of said innershell and closely fitting the same, a frame surrounding said cooking topand anchoring the same in position, said frame closing the space betweensaid inner and outer shells, and heating elements mounted on the lowerside of said sheet metal cooking top within said flanges, whereby saidheating elements serve both to heat said cooking top and tosimultaneously radiate heat directly into the interior of the oven.

2. An electric oven having heat insulated sides comprising spaced innerand outer shells, a sheet metal cooking top in the form of an invertedpan, a laterally extending flange secured to the sides of said pan andresting upon and closely fitting the upper edges of said inner shell, tosupport the said pan thereon, a frame surroundingr said cooking top andengaging said flange, so as to hold the said pan in position, said frameclosing the space between said inner and outer shells, and heatingelements mounted on the lower side of said sheet metal cooking top,whereby said heating elements serve both to heat said cooking top and tosimultaneously radiate heat directly into the interior of the oven.

GEORGE STEINGRUBER.

